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Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document
have been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been
corrected.

[Illustration: THE WESTERN FAÇADE OF AMIENS CATHEDRAL.]

FRANCE

BY
GORDON HOME

WITH 32 FULL PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR

LONDON
ADAM AND CHARLES BLACK
1914

CONTENTS

PAGE

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY 1

CHAPTER II
THE GENESIS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FRENCH 6

CHAPTER III
FAMILY LIFE MARRIAGE AND THE BIRTH RATE 23

CHAPTER IV
HOW THE FRENCH GOVERN THEMSELVES 49

CHAPTER V
ON EDUCATION AND RELIGION 67

CHAPTER VI
SOME ASPECTS OF PARIS AND OF TOWN LIFE IN GENERAL 86

CHAPTER VII
OF RURAL LIFE IN FRANCE 114

CHAPTER VIII
THE RIVERS OF FRANCE 143

CHAPTER IX
OF THE WATERING PLACES 169

CHAPTER X
ARCHITECTURE ROMAN, ROMANESQUE, AND GOTHIC IN
FRANCE 193

CHAPTER XI
THE NATIONAL DEFENCES 205

INDEX 213

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

1. THE WESTERN FAÇADE OF AMIENS CATHEDRAL Frontispiece

FACING PAGE

2. COMBOURG, A TYPICAL CHÂTEAU OF THE MEDIAEVAL TYPE 8

3. IN THE CAFÉ ARMENONVILLE IN THE BOIS DE BOULOGNE, PARIS 17

4. IN THE PLACE DU THÉÂTRE FRANÇAIS, PARIS 24

5. EVENING IN THE PLACE D'IÉNA, PARIS 31

6. IN THE CENTRE OF PARIS 40

7. THE MARKET PLACE AND CATHEDRAL AT ABBEVILLE 48

8. FIVE O'CLOCK TEA IN PARIS 64

9. CHILDREN OF PARIS IN THE LUXEMBOURG GARDENS 71

10. LE PUY EN VELAY IN THE AUVERGNE COUNTRY 75

11. LA ROCHE, A VILLAGE OF HAUTE SAVOIE 78

12. A TYPICAL COCHER OF PARIS 90

13. AUTUMN IN THE CHAMPS ELYSÉES, PARIS 95

14. A BRETON CALVAIRE : THE ORATORY OF JACQUES CARTIER 122

15. A PEASANT CHILD OF NORMANDY 126

16. THE CATHEDRAL AND PART OF THE OLD CITY OF CHARTRES 136

17. THE CHÂTEAU OF AMBOISE ON THE LOIRE 144

18. CHÂTEAU GAILLARD AND A LOOP OF THE SEINE 150

19. MONT BLANC REFLECTING THE SUNSET GLOW 155

20. EVIAN LES BAINS ON LAKE GENEVA 158

21. THE CHAPEL ON THE BRIDGE OF ST. BÉNÉZET, AVIGNON 162

22. CAP MARTIN NEAR MENTONE 164

23. THE CHÂTEAU OF CHENONCEAUX 168

24. ST. MALO FROM ST. SERVAN 171

25. MONTE CARLO AND MONACO FROM THE EAST 174

26. MONT ST. MICHEL AT HIGH TIDE 177

27. THE VEGETABLE MARKET, NICE 187

28. THE PYRENEES FROM NEAR PAMIERS 190

29. THE GALERIE DES GLACES AT VERSAILLES 192

30. THE ROMAN TRIUMPHAL ARCH AT ORANGE 194

31. FRENCH DESTROYERS 200

32. SOLDIERS OF FRANCE IN PARIS 208

SKETCH MAP OF FRANCE ON PAGE 212.

FRANCE

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTORY

The more one knows of France and the French at first hand, and the
more one reads the ideas and opinions of other people concerning this
great people, so does one feel less and less able to write down any
definite statements about the country or its inhabitants... Continue reading book >>